Sheila Dikshit hints at returning to active politics

Sheila Dikshit, who was removed as Kerala Governor by the Centre, on Thursday dropped enough hints of returning to active politics and said her future role in the party will be decided by the Congress leadership.

New Delhi: Sheila Dikshit, who was removed as Kerala Governor by the Centre, on Thursday dropped enough hints of returning to active politics and said her future role in the party will be decided by the Congress leadership.

Dikshit, a three-time Chief Minister of Delhi, said she will abide by any decision the Congress high-command takes about her future in the party as efforts are underway to revitalise it following the severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.

"It is the prerogative of the Congress High Command to decide about my future role in the party," Dikshit told PTI here immediately after returning from Thiruvananthapuram.

Asked whether she would be interested in leading Congress in Delhi ahead of possible assembly polls, 76-year-old Dikshit indicated her willingness for such a role.

"I am back in Delhi. I am a permanent resident of Delhi. I will not comment further," said Dikshit, who had led Congress to spectacular victories in assembly polls in Delhi in 1998, 2003 and 2009.

Congress under her leadership had suffered a severe drubbing in the assembly polls in Delhi in December last year, winning a paltry eight seats in the 70-member House.

Dikshit, who was the lone face of the Congress during the campaign except for a few fleeting appearances of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, herself faced the ignominy of suffering a defeat by over 25,000 votes at the hands of Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi constituency.

Congress was handed a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls as well as all its seven MPs, including two Union ministers, were relegated to third positions in their constituencies.

Dikshit was appointed Governor of Kerala on March 4, just before the code of conduct for Lok Sabha polls came into force. She had resigned from the gubernatorial position on August 25 following indication to quit the post by the NDA government.

"I enjoyed being in Kerala. It is a beautiful state. It was a happy stay," Dikshit said.

Former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam has been appointed as new governor of Kerala.